


Fixing the Broken Before They Break

by LadyConstellation



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet Ending, Character Death, F/M, I Blame Tumblr, I Made Myself Cry, I have No Excuse, I shouldn't write fics that'll make me cry, I'm Sorry, Identity Reveal, Really though like all the angst, Time Travel, Timebreaker AU, What Have I Done, all the feels, but whoops here I am, hopeful but still really sad, just sad, not graphic or anything, only kind of though, real sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:22:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25610521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyConstellation/pseuds/LadyConstellation
Summary: A Ladybug can't lose her Chat Noir– she becomes balanced, unwhole, empty. So what happens when she does? Simple, really. She does whatever it takes to get him back.Inspired by the TimeBroken AU, you know the really sad one. Yeah, that one. Sorry. (Kinda).
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 8
Kudos: 80
Collections: All Aboard the Angst Train *Choo Choo*





	Fixing the Broken Before They Break

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Desperation Of A Once-Lucky Bug](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5831971) by [Lady_Lombax](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Lombax/pseuds/Lady_Lombax). 



_"Marinette, please, be reasonable. You can't do this."_ _The embodiment of creation_ _called, tugging gently on her wielder's coat sleeve._

_"Yes, I can. I've found a way to save him and I'll be damned if I waste it." the woman responded, pulling her black hair back, "I don't care what happens to me."_

_Destruction tugged on her other sleeve, pleading, "Kid, c'mon. It's been eight years. The world has moved on."_

_The slight woman shrugged both of them off, cold eyes and pale skin hiding corded muscles and nerves of steel, "They shouldn't have," she said coldly, "He was the best part our lives. He's worth everything I can give. You both should know that. I'm not giving up on him, and you should know that too."_

_Tikki and Plagg sighed– even embodiments of the beginning and the end couldn't control a woman who'd lost everything. Even they, with their supposed control, didn't have a say in what happened between life and death. Life was for the living, not the gods who created them._

_"So, are you two ready?" the woman asked, tapping her foot impatiently against the cobblestones._

_"Whatever you want, Marinette," Tikki sighed._

_"Tikki, Spots On!" she cried._

_And in a flash of light and smoke, the three were gone._

Eight Years in the Past: The Race

Marinette gasped in horror as Chloé dropped the glowing pocket watch onto the path for the race. Alix and Kim were fast approaching and there wasn't enough time. No time to catch it. No time to grab it off the path. No time for anything. There couldn't ever be enough time to fix what happened here. 

It clattered to a stop, snapping closed and hiding the blue hologram from all those watching as Alix approached. 

In a different world, where the fates were kinder, after Alix ran over her watch and became TimeBreaker, she led Ladybug back in time six minutes. Those six minutes saved everyone. They saved _everything_.

In this world, there wasn't enough time.

Six minutes.

Three-hundred and sixty seconds.

Sometimes six minutes means all the time in the world. 

Alix skated closer, closer, closer still– and then, there, the impossible. The second best thing to six minutes. Three-hundred and sixty seconds. The zip of an unbreakable string. The unbreakable will that carried it. The yo-yo tangled in her legs and she crashed the ground, mere centimeters from her watch. 

Gaps arose throughout the crowd as Kim skidded to a stop beside her. 

"Is that–" Alya inspected the material wrapped tightly to the legs of the skater. 

Marinette shook her head, "It can't be." 

Alix kicked at the string restraining her legs, "What was that for?" she narrowed down at her legs, "What is even is this?" 

Before she could get a closer look at it, the restraints loosened and zipped back to where it came from, hidden behind a nearby building. 

Kim and Marinette helped Alix to her feet and the red and black spotted woman flipped over to the crowd. 

She gently grabbed the watch and smiled at the camera recording everything. (Was that really what they all had looked like back then? They were so young, she realized. Marinette had lost them all when they were so _young_.)

Marinette could tell they were all watching her. She looked different, she knew. Her suit was still red and black, but it was armored– more guarded. Dark wings were kept tucked close to her back and she knew Adrien especially would be drawn to the ring hanging on a chain that she always kept close to her heart. 

The class gaped at her and she desperately tried to force her tears away. She'd lost so many of them when they were practically children. Hawk Moth had murdered _children_. She'd lost her friends, her best friend, her crush, and her partner. She'd lost them all in six minutes. Three-hundred and sixty seconds. 

She carefully walked over to Alix, pressing the watch into the girl's chest, "You should probably be more careful with this. Family heirloom, right?" 

The pink-haired girl nodded, holding on tightly to the watch. 

Marinette turned to glance at her younger self ( _so_ young, when she'd lost _so_ much) and Adrien. They were both tensed slightly, ready to spring into action if any trouble arose. She wondered how she'd been so oblivious– how she'd ignored all the signs. Standing side-by-side, they looked like partners, subconsciously backing the other up.

(She should've done more than just backed him up. She should've taken that hit. The hit that was meant for her. The hit he took anyway.)

Grief unfurled rapidly in her chest and she tore her gaze away from the pair

Her eyes landed on the blonde whose blue eyes were scrutinizing her. 

"You shouldn't take other people's things, you know," she said, her tone scolding but gentle. 

The girl tossed her ponytail behind her, "Oh, please," she scoffed, "It was probably worthless anyway. And who are you to scold me? Do you know who I am? I could get you in serious trouble." 

Marinette rolled her eyes, "I know who you are. I know you're Chloé Bourgeois, daughter of Andre and Audrey Bourgeois. I know that if I hadn't shown up, Alix would've run over the watch you just dropped. I know that means you would have caused Alix to be akumatized into TimeBreaker– although you didn't do it on purpose, which might count for something. I know TimeBreaker inadvertently killed the majority of your class, including you. I know Chat Noir died too, leaving Ladybug desperate and heartbroken. I know Alix nearly died of guilt after she was finally defeated by Ladybug alone, before leaving Paris forever. I know Paris was never the same. I know your father gave up his position as the mayor after you died. I know we lost all these people in six minutes. Just six, that was all it took. I know the few survivors of what most people called the TimeBreaker Massacre were completely different afterwords. I know Ivan never moved on from Mylène, I know Nino never listened to music again, I know Marinette gave up everything just so I could be here to fix the mess you accidentally caused because you couldn't keep your hands to yourself. I know exactly who you are." 

Chloé's mouth was hanging open, eyes wide in shock. Alya had nearly dropped her phone, clutching tightly onto Nino's hand with her spare one. Adrien's hand was planted firmly on her past self's shoulder– a reminder that they were both there, they were safe. (They would be now). 

"I–" the normally wordy and self-obsessed girl choked on her words. 

Marinette's eyes stung as she put a hand on the girl's shoulder, "It's okay, now. Just– just be more careful. Be more kind. Be a better person." 

She turned back to Alix, whose silent tears were by far the most gut-wrenching, "It wasn't your fault, you know. Hawk Moth preys on our weaknesses and no one who survived ever blamed you. You should know that, even though it won't happen now. You shouldn't be weighed down by the guilt of what he made you do. Everyone will be okay now." Alix nodded and a slight twitch of Marinette's lips, a ghost of a smile, appeared for a moment. "Good," 

It had been six minutes. Three-hundred and sixty seconds. Marinette knew what would happen now. 

_"Chat?" a small voice asked, a ghostly projection of a fifteen-year-old Ladybug appeared a few feet away._

Six minutes made all the difference in the world. 

"Miss?" the young Marinette called out. "What's happening?" 

"Oh, there's no need to call me that. I'm Lady Luck. And _that_ is what happens when the world becomes unbalanced. After Chat– after he died, the world's balance was shifted. Suddenly, there was creation with no destruction. Good luck with none of the bad. Even after Ladybug used her Miraculous Ladybug to fix everything, she can't bring people back. And since she couldn't do that… everything remained slightly off-kilter. There can't be creation without destruction. And– well, without Chat to balance Ladybug out, she had too much creation for any mortal to control. With the extra creation that she had to get rid of, she left behind a memory. A ghost or projection of everything that happened that day." Lady Luck shook her head, "What you're about to see is what would've happened if I never showed up." 

_The panicked Ladybug whipped around frantically, searching for any sign of her classmates. "Chat? Anyone, please? Alya, Rose? Anyone? Please, you can't all be gone. Chloé, someone! Please tell me you're still alive! Please!"_

_There was no answer, only her own words echoing back at her. She took out her yo-yo, frantically tapping to find Chat's signal._

_"Chat?" she whispered, her voice sounding firmer than usual "Why can't I find you on the tracker? Chat, please! This isn't funny anymore! I just want to know if you're okay. Please tell me you're okay. You don't even have to be transformed. I don't care anymore! Just let me know you're alive!" Tears were brimming in her eyes as she brushed them frantically. "Come on, Chat! I can't do this without you!"_

_Ladybug sighed, turning to face her audience unknowingly, the panic clear on her face. She was down to only two spots and her eyes narrowed in on the black ring lying on the ground before her._

_She froze, knees collapsing in on her as she fell to the ground. She let out a low sob of grief, cradling the ring in her hands. "No, please no. Chat please tell this is just some sick joke. I can't– you're my partner, Chat. Please don't make me do this alone."  
_

_When he still didn't appear she shook her head frantically as the ring glowed green for a brief second, his kwami appearing._

_"I'm sorry, kid," he said, eyes downcast._

_"No!" she screamed, "He's not gone. You're wrong. You have to be. He's my partner, he'd never leave me. He_ promised _. Remember, Chat? You promised me you wouldn't leave. Come_ on _, Chat. Come back. If not for you, come back for me. Come back for_ me _. Please, I'll laugh at all your stupid puns, even though you always have the worst timing. I actually think they're kinda funny you, know," her voice was shaking now, and she'd stopped trying to brush away her tears as they dripped steadily down her cheeks, "I'll even let you call me My Lady, or Bugaboo, or whatever you want. I'll do whatever you want if you just come back."_

_"Kid–" the kwami tried to say, but Ladybug shook her head frantically._

_"No!" she shrieked, "Chat Noir, you're not dead, goddammit! Get back here right now! Chat, I don't want to be here if you're not next to me! I love you, and you have to come back to me. I'll let you tell me all of your puns and I'll laugh at them and you'll call me by all your silly nicknames and I'll smile. We'll go on dates and tell each other our secret identities and we'll be happy, Chat. But you have to come back first. You have to come back._ Please _._ _"_

The crowd watching was silent, faces pale as they saw their strong, unbreakable hero fall apart as she realized her partner wasn't coming back. They didn't say anything as Lady Luck began approaching the projection. 

She saw Marinette and Adrien flinch out of the corner of her as she swung her yo-yo down. 

_Ladybug looked up toward the sky, pleading with some unknown force with tears streaming down her face. Her final cry rang throughout the Trocadéro even as she disappeared into smoke as the yo-yo cut through the projection._

_"Chat, please!"_

Memories flooded back of all the people TimeBreaker had captured. All within those six minutes.Those three-hundred and sixty seconds. That was all it took for her partner to be alive and well and making puns to suddenly being gone. 

All of that in just six minutes. 

In just three-hundred and sixty seconds. 

Lady Luck turned back to the crowd, eyes foggy with tears and voice thick with emotions, "That's all that's left of Chat Noir. It appears every year, on the anniversary of the Massacre. When I swing my yo-yo through it, it manages to disperse the illusion, but it always comes back. It's the Miraculous Cure still trying to save all those lives. It never works" 

She turned to Marinette and Adrien, both who were crying, looking as though they might be sick, "Marinette, you should probably get going now. The client for your cake is going to be early. If you hurry you might be able to get there before her." 

The girl blinked through her tears, nearly sobbing still, "I really thought I had more time." 

Lady Luck smiled sadly, "We always do." she turned to Alya, whose hands were shaking with an unaturally pale face, "Alya, you run the Ladyblog, right?" 

(She knew Alya did, of course, she did. It was because of her blog that she died.) 

That attack taking her from laughing and smiling and running her blog– her passion– and helping Marinette make stupid plans to woo Adrien that she'd never carry out to being dead. Dead because of Marinette. 

All of that in just six minutes. 

In just three-hundred and sixty seconds. 

The girl nodded. 

"That's good," Lady Luck said, "Can you post something to let Ladybug and Chat Noir know to meet me on their favorite rooftop at midnight? They'll know which one I mean." 

Alya nodded again and she turned around, preparing to swing off somewhere far, far away from the place where her life fell apart. 

"Wait!" the reporter called out, staring the wings folded on Lady Luck's back, "Who are you? Why are you here? And how can we trust you?" 

Lady Luck turned back with an almost-smile on her face. "I'm what's left of Ladybug when she doesn't have Chat Noir anymore. I'm the girl who lost her best friend, her partner, and the love of her life all in one day. The girl who almost died defeating Hawk Moth, not even because that's what I thought was right anymore, but because he took everything from me and I wanted to return the favor. And you don't have to trust me, I suppose, but if you need to know I'm not lying about who I am, I'll tell you this: the first thing Chat Noir ever said to me was a pun. I'd just plummeted out of the sky and crashed into him and he said 'Well, hey there. Nice of you to drop in.'" she let out a choked laugh, "And I thought the reason I'm here was clear enough. I'm here to bring him back." 

She wanted him back _so_ badly. The attack wasn't fair. 

The attack that took her from smiling with her partner and trying her best not to laugh at his puns to wondering how she could be so _stupid_ and blaming herself constantly for letting him take a hit that was meant for her. 

All of that in just six minutes. 

In just three-hundred and sixty seconds. 

She swung off into the air, leaving a group of stunned and crying teenagers behind her. 

* * *

Lady Luck pressed her head back against the brick wall she was sitting against. Faint piano music rang out from her phone as she stared at the Eiffel Tower glittering cheerfully in the distance. So far, she was alone on the rooftop, staring mindlessly out into the city she didn't quite fit into anymore. She was early though, so Ladybug and Chat Noir would likely still arrive. 

Staring off into the distance, she remembered the final fight against Hawk Moth– it had been just the two of them. No back up, no silly quips from her favorite pun-making hero. They'd nearly taken down the Eiffel Tower with them, although the city had been able to salvage it. Unmasking him had been the worst part, though. Hawk Moth had been Gabriel Agreste. Hawk Moth had killed his own son, and he hadn't once stopped to think about it. She got shivers thinking about it even now. 

A light thump on either side of her informed her that Ladybug and Chat Noir had finally shown up. Lady Luck nodded to each of them, but kept her silence. She could see the two shifting uneasily on their feet. 

"You two can sit down," she said dryly, turning to Chat, "You liked playing the piano right?" she jutted her chin towards her phone, "After you died, I listened to it a lot." 

He nodded, but remained standing, as did Ladybug, "Yeah, I do,"

"I learned a lot about you after TimeBreaker, you know." she shifted, letting her body rest entirely on the wall behind her, "I wanted to know you better. I felt awful: you died for me and I didn't even know your _name_. So I tried to find out as much as I could. I had hoped it would make it better, but it didn't. I just realized I'd lost so much more than I even realized. We know each other outside of the masks, and– oh god it just made losing you so much harder." 

Ladybug and Chat exchanged panicked looks– what Lady Luck had just said was more than they'd known. 

She snorted, "Oh come off it you two. You finding out who is the other is doesn't even reach the top twenty worst things that could happen." 

Lady Luck slowly rose off the ground, gritting her teeth as she felt the pain spread throughout her body. 

"Are you… okay?" Chat asked, hands ready to catch her. 

"I'm fine. It's just that I'm obviously not supposed to be in this time. Time travel can work for most people if it's not your timeline you're staying in. But since this is my timeline and I just changed the outcome, I technically don't exist anymore. Because I haven't lost anyone today, I won't be the person eight years from now. I don't have my own time to return to, and because there's already a me right here… my body isn't reacting well." 

The two teens eyed her warily, but backed off for the time being. 

She leaned heavily against the wall, shaking her head clear of the fogginess surrounding it, "Alright, I need you two to de-transform. Because I have your two Miraculous from my time with me, we need to merge them. But we can't do that without our kwamis. And it needs to happen quickly, too, because my body can't stand being in this time for much longer." 

Ladybug panicked, "We– we can't do that! It'll reveal our identities, which will put us at risk and–" 

Her older self held up a hand, "I know you don't want to do this, but if you don't, these two sets of Miraculous could seriously mess up the world. There aren't supposed to be two sets, there's only supposed to be one. And believe me, knowing his identity will only make things easier for both of you," 

Chat Noir pursed his lips, "I don't want to force My Lady into doing anything she's uncomfortable with. Maybe we could just turn our backs or close our eyes or something?" 

Ladybug sent him a grateful smile while Lady Luck sighed in exasperation, "You two are hopeless. If you don't do it now, it'll just be a different time, and if you never do it at all you'll regret it. Plus, Chat will obviously know who you are when I de-transform so there's really no point, is there? Plus," she added almost as an afterthought, "Plagg will make sure you two know by the end of it. It's like ripping off a bandaid, kids. Just get it over with." 

The duo glanced at each other nervously, Ladybug quickly returned her gaze to the ground as her cheeks turned pink and Chat rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Neither seemed to want to drop their transformation first, and neither wanted to argue with her about it either. 

They stayed silent for a moment before Lady Luck lost her patience, "Listen, guys. I understand you're both nervous and it's been a long, hard day for both of you. And if we had hours for you to make this decision, I'd give them to you. But I don't _have_ hours. We don't have time." 

When both remained silent and very much in costume, she barreled on, turning to Chat Noir, "Okay, fine then. Adrien, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The reason she keeps turning you down as Chat Noir is because she's in love with you as Adrien. Even though she doesn't laugh at your puns often, she does think most of them are pretty funny. She secretly presses all the roses you give her and puts them in frames, and she _hates_ it when you take hits for her." 

She shifted her gaze to Ladybug, "Marinette, this is Adrien Agreste. The reason he never noticed your ridiculous crush on his civilian self is because he loves you as Ladybug. He though he friendzoned you about a million times, he does think you're really cute and that your designs are amazing. He would probably love you forever if you brought him some passion fruit macarons from the bakery. He really likes the scarf you made him and he'll never stop putting himself in danger for, even if you argue with him for hours. He does it because he loves you." 

The older woman glanced between the two kids whose secret identities had just been busted, "Alright, if you two could hold off on being awkward for a little bit, that would be great, and please for the love of god have a serious conversation about this before you confess your love for each other." 

The teens blushed, looking down at their feet. 

She just sighed, standing up straighter, "Tikki, Spots off," a red flash enveloped her in, leaving behind a tired looked twenty-three year old. She sagged back against the wall, brushing the hair out of her face. 

Without her mask to hide most of her face, you could see the bags under her eyes, the worry line along her brows, and the sadness held in her eyes. The bright gleam usually found there was noticeably missing, instead leaving a heavy weight– the look of someone who had seen too much. She looked like she came from much farther in the future than just eight years. A bright blur flew out of her earrings and in a puff of smoke, Plagg appeared from the ring carried around her neck. 

As Tikki landed gently on her shoulder, Plagg immediately darted toward Chat. 

"Adrien!" he exclaimed as he collided with Chat's chest, "I missed you," the kwami muttered so quietly you almost couldn't hear it. Plagg spread his arms against Chat's chest, giving him a hug. 

"Hi Plagg, it's good to see you too," 

Tikki turned to glance at Ladybug, "Hello Mari," 

She floated gently over to her, hovering in front of her face. She looked the same, although her smiled was weaker, and her eyes carried so much more sadness. The future hadn't been kind to her or her kwami, Ladybug reasoned. 

"Alright," Lady Luck interrupted, "It's time for you two to de-transform." 

Plagg rolled his eyes, "Forgive the Lady over here," his face took on a more somber expression, "She was never the same after she lost Chat. She means well, though. I hope you both know that." 

Ladybug and Chat nodded timidly, "And this… merging thing, it won't hurt them right?" Ladybug asked. 

"No, of course not," she replied. gently stroking the top of her kwamis head, "They've done this before. Merging them doesn't hurt, and it won't make sad either. It gives their past selves the wisdom of the future, but none of the pain." 

The duo nodded in sync and dropped their transformations. A blinding flash came over them before the light faded, leaving behind Marinette and Adrien. The two shared a small, tentative smile before turning to face Lady Luck. 

Their own versions of Tikki and Plagg appeared before them. 

"Oh…" Plagg said knowingly, "We're doing _this_ again? My fur always itches afterward though," 

The future Plagg nodded, "I know, really. The things we do for our holders." 

Tikki groaned, "Plagg, both of you behave!" 

Lady Luck smiled, "Oh you two. Behave for me and Adrien, okay?" 

The kwamis nodded and the future Tikki approached her, "I'm very proud of you Marinette. You've best one of my best Ladybugs yet. I'll remember you for being so, _so_ brave." she brushed a tear of Lady Luck's cheek, "I love you," 

"I love you, too Tikki" she sniffled, hands brushing the earrings she'd worn for so many years, "I'm proud of have been a part of your life, you know. And I'm incredibly grateful for the impact you've had on mine." with a last sob, she gently removed the earrings she'd worn since her first year of high school, stumbling over her words around her crush and staying up late pricking her fingers on needles sewing. 

Her kwami burst into tears as she took them from Marinette's hands. 

Plagg floated in front of her as Tikki retreated, brushing his nose with hers, "Tikki picked a great Ladybug this time around. I'll remember you, too. And… we didn't work together that many times, but for what it's worth, I'm glad you were my kitten at least once." 

His eyes looked suspiciously shiny as he pulled away. 

"Thanks, Plagg," she whispered softly, brushing away her tears with the sleeve of her jacket before taking the ring off its chain and pressing it into his small hands, "Look after them, okay?"

Her tears fell harder as the two kwamis flew into her for one final hug before spinning to face their counterparts, who were also holding their Miraculous. 

Lady Luck began a slow chant as the kwamis merged. 

Tikki in a flash of red light, Plagg in a burst of smoke. 

The light died down and the smoke cleared, leaving only one Ladybug and one Cat kwami. 

They nodded to her, "It worked," Tikki said gently. 

After they returned the Miraculous back to their wielders, they turned back to face Lady Luck. 

"Okay," she said, clearly her throat and wiping away her remaining tears, "I did bring some things help you all. This is an important book that contains a lot of information about your Miraculous and kwamis, so be careful with it. You've also got some of my notebooks. I didn't include anything that would mess up your timeline any more than I already have, but it has some helpful tricks and tips that might be useful later on." Lady Luck leaned back against the wall, sighing deeply. 

Marinette glanced at her, eyes slightly watery, "Do– do you want us to stay with you?" 

A small smile appeared on the dying woman's face, "You can if you'd like, but you don't need to. It won't be painful, and I'm not scared of dying. I know it'll all be worth it." she glanced at her past self before looking to Adrien, "He's worth it. Always has been." 

Adrien looked determinedly at her before taking Marinette's hand and pulling them both to sit down across from her, "We'll stay with you." he said firmly, "It's the least we can do." 

As a muted glow appeared over Lady Luck's heart, they all knew that her time had run out. 

She placed a hand to her heart, a small smile– a real one, this time– appearing on her face. 

"Thank you," Adrien said softly, "I know I don't know you all that well, but thank you." she could see tears welling in his eyes as well and nodded her head at him. 

Tikki was already crying quietly, hands covering her mouth. 

Lady Luck's smile grew before it turned into a confused expression as the glow from her heart spread out– turning her more youthful by the second until she looked the same as her teenage self again. "What's happening?" she asked, glancing at her outfit and hands, which were now lacking scars. 

Before anyone could try to explain, a white glow was met with green that quickly materialized as a teenage boy crouching next to her. Her eyes brimmed with tears as a quiet gasp escaped her lips through her widening smile. Tears quickly began rolling down her cheeks, although she paid them no mind, never taking her eyes off the boy next to her. Hands shaking, she reached out to touch his cheek, brushing it gently as though anything harder might break him. 

"Chat?" she asked, "You're here?" 

"Why of course, My Lady," A maskless and transparent Chat Noir said with a cheeky grin as he brushed her hair back with a clawed hand, "The universe needs balance after all. And what's Lady Luck without her Black Cat?" 

The now fading Marinette let out a small laugh, drawing him closer until their foreheads were touching, "My chaton," 

"Yours," the boy agreed before a gentle breeze blew them away as if they were never there at all. 

It was just two crying teenagers hugging each other with the promise of a better future for the both of them. 

For the first time since Hawk Moth appeared, the two of them had all the time in the world. 

Meanwhile, in some place the living have no name for, as Marinette Dupain-Cheng clutched tightly to her Chat Noir's, _Adrien's_ , shoulders, she realized she'd been holding him for six minutes.

For three-hundred and sixty seconds. 

And for the first time in eight years, Marinette thought six was the most beautiful number in the world.


End file.
